Birthdays

Marc and I have birthdays two days apart on the calendar - April 3 & 5. Further to be complicated by the fact that this year those dates fell on Good Friday and Easter. Which I suppose if you aren't working for a church, or your wife isn't working for a church it is probably pretty fun dates to have your birthday on. These days/weeks are pretty chaotic. However, for us not so much. We did manage to squeeze in a little bit of celebrating in the midst of the madness - here's to next year when our birthdays aren't during holy week.

Friday after worship we did go out for Marc's birthday, we went to a great wood fire pizza place here in town and then over to Cold Stone for ice cream. Marc's mom and my mom were both in town already and were able to join us for the fun. Marc picked both places to celebrate. Cold Stone even gave him free ice cream, technically I think you are suppose to print off a coupon online or something to get free ice cream but this woman was just nice and gave it to him.

My birthday I was at church from about 5:40 am till about 1:00pm and I was EXHAUSTED afterwards. Marc and my dad had picked up a Dairy Queen peanut butter cup blizzard cake for my birthday. After we had Easter dinner we had blizzard cake for dessert. YUM.

Marc did squeeze away Sunday night to go and see Fast and the Furious 7 with a couple friends - he was anxiously awaiting the movie but with the chaos of the weekend he wasn't able to escape until Sunday night.

We had fun. We celebrated a little bit and rejoiced that we survived Holy Week. Here's to another trip around the sun.




What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?

Wartburg Retread

It has been nearly 3 years since I have graduated from seminary.

It has been nearly 3 years since we were sent out from Wartburg, ordained as pastors, and placed into congregations.

It is the tradition at Wartburg Seminary that nearish your 3 year mark your class returns to "retread."

We had a marvelous time. I AM SOOO thankful that many of my dear friends and I were able to get together, to snuggle the babies that have been born since we left, catch up on life, and be together once again. There was a sense of going home for sure.



Those few days were good for my soul.

I wish I had taken more photos - I feel like I often say that however, I was consumed in just being with friends.

We did have to take a few "classes" while we were there, they were pretty low key, but we did take a few, conversation was good. I am thankful to no longer be bogged down by classes that is for certain.

Who knew going to a neighboring state would find me in beautiful 75 degree weather and sitting on green grass.... talking about having a debate as to why we live so far north. It was beautiful weather and from the time we left Iowa till we pulled up and into my northern Minnesota drive way 50 degrees had dropped. Mother Nature is cruel indeed.

I wish I knew when we'd all be together again or at least those who I hold nearest and dearest to my heart. We have already begun talks of where we will meet again and when - we are thinking that we won't be at WTS but rather somewhere fun somewhere random for us all. We have debated our options - perhaps a camp or a fun place. Hopefully we can commit to doing it and get it on all of our already way too busy calendars.

April Photo Dump

April was indeed a VERY good month! Here are just a few of the highlights. Now here's hoping spring shows it's face in May. I am ready to ditch the coats and hats and be outside.

Pie Day!

• Today was a wonderful day here.


• We found out we are getting a tax return. Taxes make me nervous, I am always nervous that we have to pay in (which would SUCK) - but we do get a return, not huge but a return none the less.


• The weather is above freezing. REJOICE.


• Our basement is coming along. REJOICE.




• today our sheetrock, tub/shower, and insulation were delivered.




• This afternoon I actually got quite a bit done, I needed to do some work for the camp I work for (parttime) and some work for my actual job (proof my sermon for Sunday and make sure that I am ready for a burial tomorrow).


• IT is PI day! Whoop Whoop. 




• We have a group of friends who we frequently get together with for St. Patty's day, however, with one the ladies due on Monday with her second baby we didn't want to risk not getting together. So we gathered and had Shepherd's pie, had pie for dessert, and played some games. Friends are indeed good.

This was a ridiculously random post, but it works.
Hope y'all had a great pi day!

February Photo Dump

Ahhh February, you sort of were wonderful and sort of the bane of my existence. I CAN'T handle the ridiculously cold weather any more and I am losing my mind. SERIOUSLY. I am over the ridiculously cold negative temps. I have read the books I wanted to read, I have watched more movies than I care to admit, my dog is climbing the walls because we can't take her for a long walk or really any walk outside, and frankly I am sick of having to warm my car for twenty minutes before I go ANYWHERE because it is sooooo cold. Midst the cold and miserableness I did manage to snap these photos. Enjoy a glimpse into my February: {True Story I admit none of them are to die for photos, however, given the month I have had, I am calling it a success.}

South Dakota Trip

me and a couple of my favorite people

I just think this is a funny picture of me
Marc too 

 This pa This past weekend, Marc and I took a quick trip back to South Dakota (weekend fun is hard when you are a pastor and don't get your Sundays off, while four Sundays off a year may sound like a lot, when everything happens on a weekend it never seems like enough.), we ran home late Thursday night and made it back on Saturday so I could work Sunday morning. While we were home we stayed with my parents, saw my BFF Hartj, spent a little time with some old roommates, spent time with my grandparents, aunt, uncles, some cousins, my brother, and his girlfriend. IT WAS WONDERFUL.
Home does the soul good. We spent Friday doing all sorts of great things: eating at a yummy burger join in downtown Sioux Falls (J.L. Beers - I had never heard of it), walked around the falls, took pictures of geese (not picture of Marc playing with my good camera), talked, talked, stopped by at a friend's school, took Dakota to the dog park, saw what will hopefully be my parent's new house in the beginning of November, and most importantly got to go to my Grandfather's 85th birthday party!
   It was so delightful to be back home. I love Brainerd, but it is hard to be so far away from family.st weekend, Marc and I took a quick trip back to South Dakota (weekend fun is hard when you are a pastor and don't get your Sundays off, while four Sundays off a year may sound like a lot, when everything happens on a weekend it never seems like enough.), we ran home late Thursday night and made it back on Saturday so I could work Sunday morning. While we were home we stayed with my parents, saw my BFF Hartj, spent a little time with some old roommates, spent time with my grandparents, aunt, uncles, a cousin, my brother, and his girlfriend. IT WAS WONDERFUL.
Home does the soul good. We spent Friday doing all sorts of great things: eating at a yummy burger join in downtown Sioux Falls (J.L. Beers - I had never heard of it), walked around the falls, took pictures of geese (not picture of Marc playing with my good camera), talked, talked, stopped by at a friend's school, took Dakota to the dog park, saw what will hopefully be my parent's new house in the beginning of November, and most importantly got to go to my Grandfather's 85th birthday party!
   It was so delightful to be back home and it was wonderful to be back in Brainerd sleeping in my own bed. It was a great time! Perhaps soon you will get a photo dump with a ton of pictures of geese (why? - good question - however some of the pictures are kind of fun so we'll see when I actually get around to getting them off my camera).

This picture just makes me laugh, I don't think anyone is looking in the same
direction - and Grandma's face is enough to make me laugh aloud

Grandpa and Grandma with their kids
my dad is the one on the far right

I realize this picture isn't perfect, however it just makes me smile

Today is Grandpa's 85th Birthday! So here is Happy Birthday to the best Grandpa in the world (he'll never read this - he isn't all that tech savy - don't worry I already called him to wish him a Happy Birthday this morning)

How was your weekend?
Are your grandparents still alive?